CHLOROFORM. 
§§ 185-187.I 
157 
A still larger dose lias been recovered from in the case of a young 
man, aged 23, 1 who had swallowed no less than 75 grms. (2*6 ozs.) 
of chloroform, but yet, in a few hours, awoke from the stupor. He 
complained of a burning pain in the stomach ; on the following day he 
suffered from vomiting, and on the third day symptoms of jaundice 
appeared—a feature which has been several times noticed as an effect 
of chloroform. 
On the other hand, even small doses have been known to destroy 
life. In a case related by Taylor, a boy, aged 4, swallowed 3-5 grms. 
(1 drm.) of chloroform and died in three hours, notwithstanding that 
every effort was used for his recovery. 
§ 185. The smallest dose that has proved fatal to an adult is 15 grms. 
(nearly 4 drms.). 
From twenty-two cases in which the quantity taken had been ascer¬ 
tained with some degree of accuracy, Falck draws the following con¬ 
clusions :—In eight of the cases the dose was between 4 and 30 grins.,- 
and one death resulted from 15 grms. As for the other fourteen persons, 
the doses varied from 35 to 380 grms., and eight of these patients died— 
two after 40, two after 45, one after 60, 90,120, and 180 grms. respectively. 
Hence, under conditions favouring the action of the poison, 15 grms. 
(3-9 drms.) may be fatal to an adult, while doses of 40 grms. (10-4 drms.) 
and upwards will almost certainly kill. 
§ 186. Symptoms. —The symptoms can be well gathered from the 
cases quoted. They commence shortly after the taking of the poison ; 
and, indeed, the local action of the liquid immediately causes first a 
burning sensation, followed by numbness. 
Often after a few minutes, precisely as when the vapour is adminis¬ 
tered, a peculiar, excited condition supervenes, accompanied, it may be, 
by delirium. The next stage is narcosis, and the patient lies with pale 
face and livid lips, etc., as described at p. 160 ; the end of the scene is 
often preceded by convulsions. Sometimes, however, consciousness 
returns, and the irritation of the mucous membranes of the gastro¬ 
intestinal canal is shown by bloody vomiting and bloody stools, with 
considerable pain and general suffering. In this way, a person may 
linger several days after the ingestion of the poison. In a case observed 
by Pomeroy, the fatal malady was prolonged for eight days. Among 
those who recover, a common sequela, as before mentioned, is jaundice. 
A third form of symptoms has been occasionally observed, viz. 
The person awakes from the coma, the breathing and pulse become 
again natural, and all danger seems to have passed, when suddenly, 
after a longer or shorter time, without warning, a state of general de¬ 
pression and collapse supervenes, and death occurs. 
§ 187. Post-mortem Appearances. —The post-mortem appearances 
1 Brit. Med. Journ., 1879. 
